Design-Nation: Colour & Form: Glass from Design –Nation

Colour & Form: Glass from Design –Nation

Design-Nation has created an exhibition featuring members of our portfolio some of the most innovative and exciting designer/makers working in glass practice today. These artists have all been members of the Design-Nation portfolio, producing work for trade, retail and commission. A true celebration of colour and form, the exhibition showcases a range of techniques, such as blown and fused glass, and features a wide variety of functional and decorative pieces. All works are for sale, making this exhibition the perfect Christmas shopping destination.

There will be vessels, wall art and installation pieces by Stuart Akroyd, an award-winning studio glass designer-maker. Stuart creates forms in vibrant colours and organic shapes. Instantly identifiable, his work possesses a sense of movement and grace within the solid form. Amy Cushing spends most of her studio time perfecting colour sequences and balance. The energy and rhythm of her palette becomes all intriguing, with precious metallic coatings and leaf are used to show hidden depth. Stevie Davies makes jewellery and sculptural pieces through processes of heat and chemistry on glass and metals. Gillies Jones are partners in life and art, Stephen Gillies and Kate Jones have been making exceptional contemporary blown glass together for over 20 years. Their pieces are made the slow way, just as glass was prior to industrial revolution: labour intensive and reliant on the skills acquired over a long, international apprenticeship.

Peter Layton and Bruce Marks are founder and studio manager respectively of London Glassblowing. Peter has been at the forefront of British studio glass since the 1970s, and has contributed more than most to its promotion and burgeoning success. Bruce Marks has worked for Peter Layton since 2001, as an assistant, then as studio manager and most recently as Peter’s principal colourist. Bruce also creates his own blown sculptural glass pieces which express a powerful African influence. Catriona R Mackenzie is a designer/maker of contemporary modern glassware and jewellery. Catriona uses colour techniques and carved decoration to create desirable, modern pieces. Maggie Williams ideas are drawn from the natural world, in particular tropical plants with their luscious colours and shapes. All Maggie’s work is mouth blown and hand finished, making each piece unique. Clare L Wilson is currently based in Cumbria. Clare works primarily with cane and murine techniques, making functional and decorative art objects.

There will also be a showcase of wearable glass in jewellery form including: Angela Ibbs who creates handmade mosaic jewellery; Ruth Lyne who has been working with fused glass since 1998 and now combines it with silver to make jewellery reminiscent of sea-glass or pebbles; Eleanor Kerr Patton a contemporary jeweller who will show wearable glass jewellery; and Samantha Sweet ,a glass artist with years of expertise and experience, now moving on from her trademark bottles to create new borosilicate chains of iridescent glass.

As a leading network for the support and development of craft and design practice, Design-Nation is committed to nurturing and developing emerging talent to established and internationally known artists and designers. NCCD is proud to present Design-Nation’s first dedicated selling showcase of works in glass.